REGION, August 23rd- The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Union has began a “pro-active” campaign of reaching-out to their members in anticipation of a United States Supreme Court ruling that could impact public sector labor organizations in early 2016.

The Supreme Court will hear a case in the fall session that could result in public sector labor organizations to represent workers that refuse to join the union and not help finance the expense of their representation.

The high court stated in late June it would consider during the next term whether public employees must pay fees to labor organizations that they have refused to join but receive the negotiated wage and working conditions under the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between governments and unions.

The Supreme Court ruled forty years ago that states could allow labor unions to collect fees, often called ‘agency fee’ from non-member government workers to help pay collective bargaining cost. However, the employee could be excluded from paying anything toward the labor organizations spending on political involvement. Federal workers were not a part of the ruling with most involving state and school workers including teachers. Most union haters and pro-business conservatives on the court in 1977 were critical of the ruling which was called “Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education”.

The union haters have stated that it was unfair for unions to receive fees from workers that do not want to join the union. However, the labor organization must still represent the worker(s) should he or she be fired and will receive the wage and benefits that was negotiated between the labor organization and management. A majority of the nine justices could rule against any government worker from paying compulsory dues, which would financially hurt the labor organization.

Rebecca Friedrichs, a California teacher who has refused to join the California Teachers Association, which is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) brought the case against the Union stating that the union was infringing against her First Amendment right of free-speech. She has claimed that her First Amendment rights were violated despite that none of the fees collected from her is used for political activities. Her backers have argued that she and anti-union workers like her should not be compelled to fund collective bargaining techniques and positions which they disagree.

Unions such as AFSCME, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the NEA would be the most effected should the court rule in favor of Ms. Friedrichs.

David Fillman, AFSCME District 13 Executive Director in Harrisburg, which represents AFSCME members throughout the Lehigh Valley, stated his union is participating in a initiative that is intended to inform and educate members of the consequences of a ruling against ‘agency fee’ compulsory dues. Under the program called “AFSCME Strong” the union has put a staff together that is reaching-out to the membership to make them understand that they need to support their union and combat the anti-union attitude many have within the political world.

Mr. Fillman said the staff will engage the members around a campaign that will build power through education and mobilization. AFSCME 13 has approximately 52,600 members and the unions’ goal is to engage 80 percent of them before March 2016, the month the Supreme Court ruling regarding the compulsory dues is expected.

He said the staff will collectively train around 5 percent of the membership to sign-up, commit and activate co-workers to conduct one-on-one conversations about why they need to be engaged in their union. “The program is putting boots on the ground. There are many anti-union groups out there who want to destroy us,” said Mr. Fillman.

More information on the program will be published in future editions of the newspaper.

REGION, August 22nd- According to data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (DOL), Center for Workforce Information and Analysis in Harrisburg, within the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), non-farm jobs have increased by 1,500 from the previous reporting period, which was approximately released four-weeks before. Non-farm jobs have rose by 3,800 from twelve months before to 361,000, the DOL data indicates.

The MSA includes Lehigh County, Northampton County and Carbon County of Pennsylvania.

Many within the MSA’s industry employment sectors have increased from the previous report with Leisure & Hospitality jobs reaching a new record high level. There are 41,200 jobs within the sector, increasing by 2,000 from the previous report and rising by 3,600 during the last twelve months.

Within that sector, Accommodation and Food Services jobs gained 2,000 from the previous report and rose by 1,100 from twelve months ago to 30,600. Also, Food Services and Drinking Places jobs increased by 800 from the previous report and increased by 1,500 jobs from this time last year to 26,200.

Government jobs have continued to lose jobs in the Lehigh Valley over the past twelve months dropping by 800 to 39,600.

Local Government jobs lost 1,000 jobs during the past month and dropped by 800 jobs from twelve months ago to 34,600. Federal Government jobs dropped by 100 during the past year but was unchanged from the previous report at 2,200. There are 2,800 State Government jobs within the MSA, decreasing by 100 from the previous report and from one year ago.

Overall jobs within the MSA were up 0.7 percent or 2,600, over the past twelve months.

SEPTEMBER 2015, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Edition of The Union News

MSA’s unemployment rate increases to 6.3 percent

BY PAUL LEESON
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, September 4th- According to data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, (DOL) Center of Workforce Information and Analysis in Harrisburg, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) unemployment rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report to 6.3 percent. Twelve months ago the region’s unemployment rate was 6.9 percent. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton MSA has the third highest unemployment rate among the eight-teen in Pennsylvania.

The Johnstown MSA continues to have the highest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 6.9 percent, increasing by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report and the East Stroudsburg MSA has the second highest rate at 6.7 percent. The Johnstown MSA surpassed the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton MSA for the highest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania around six months ago. The Scranton/Wilkes-barre/Hazleton MSA had the highest unemployment rate within Pennsylvania for more than five years before being surpassed by the Johnstown MSA.

The Williamsport MSA has the fourth highest unemployment rate at 6.2 percent while the Philadelphia MSA has the fifth highest at 5.6 percent followed by the Erie MSA at 5.5 percent.

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is 5.4 percent, unchanged from the previous three months. Pennsylvania has a seasonally adjusted civilian labor force of 6,426,000 with 349,000 not working. Pennsylvania has 6,077,000 civilians with employment. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point over the past twelve months.

Meanwhile, the nation’s unemployment rate was reported to be at 5.3 percent, also unchanged from the previous report, which was released approximately four weeks before. The national unemployment rate decreased by nine-tenths of a percentage point from twelve months ago.

The State College MSA has the lowest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 3.8 percent, the same as the month before. The Gettysburg MSA has the second lowest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 4.2 percent while the Lancaster MSA has the third lowest. The Harrisburg/Carlisle MSA has the fourth lowest rate at 4.5 percent followed by the Lebanon MSA for the fifth lowest at 4.9 percent.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton MSA has the fifth largest labor-force in Pennsylvania with 284,800 civilians, rising by 2,000 from the month before and increasing by 6,300 during the past twelve months. There are 18,100 civilians without employment, decreasing by 1,200 during the past twelve months.

The Philadelphia MSA has the largest labor-force in Pennsylvania at 3,040,400 with 169,300 not working; the Pittsburgh MSA has the second largest labor-force at 1,225,500 with 64,100 without jobs; and the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA has the third largest labor-force at 427,500 with 23,800 not
working.

Lackawanna County has the lowest unemployment rate within the MSA at 5.9 percent, increasing by four-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report but dropping by seven-tenths of a percentage point from twelve months before. Lackawanna County has a labor force of 109,000 with 6,400 without employment.

Luzerne County has the highest unemployment rate within the MSA at 6.4 percent, rising by two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and decreasing by eight-tenths of a percentage point from one year before. Luzerne County has the largest labor force within the MSA at 161,900 and 10,400 of them have no jobs.

Wyoming County’s unemployment rate is 6.0 percent, dropping by one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous report and dropping by eight-tenths of a percentage point from one year before. Wyoming County has a labor force of 14,500 with 900 unemployed.

REGION, August 24th- The around 39,000 unionized workers of Verizon Communications are working under the terms and conditions of the their previous Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that expired on 12:01 a.m. on August 2nd, while negotiations between the parties are continuing.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) Union in Washington DC represents most of the Verizon Communications workforce including line workers and operators. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union represents mostly inside repair personnel.

Approximately ten weeks ago the parties began meeting with Verizon regarding gaining a successor contract agreement. Contract meetings were held in Philadelphia and Rye, New York during that period but without the parties reaching an agreement. Verizon proposals include concessions in out-sourcing, and subcontracting language that would result in less of a unionized workforce.

The CWA and IBEW members voted overwhelmingly to give their negotiating team the right to call for a strike in necessary, however no walk-out is planned at this time.

The once very profitable copper wire land-line telephone business, which most was once operated by Verizon Communications, still makes money but has seen the use of the copper wire lines decrease over the past several decades due to the increase of wireless services.

Verizon Communications has approximately 10.5 million residential land-line customers with more than fifty percent still using copper land-lines. One of the benefits of copper land-lines is a customer does not lose their phone service in an event of a power outage, while wireless phone systems will stop working when the batteries die, such as what happen in New Jersey several years ago after Hurricane Sandy. With the power off wireless phone customers lost their phone service for as much as several weeks.

In February Verizon announced that it had agreed to sell about twenty-five percent of their copper hard-line customers to Frontier Communications Corporation. After the deal is completed Verizon will not operate wire line telephone service in three states, Texas, California, and Florida. Some but not all of Frontier workers are unionized, also by the CWA.

The remaining phone business of Verizon Communications will be mostly in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

REGION, August 3rd - Two field representatives of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in Washington DC, the nation’s largest labor federation, recently met with several labor leaders of the region including Corey Lockard, Chairman of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation (NEPA-ALF), which has approximately 150 labor union’s affiliated, and Kerry Gallagher, Director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 87, which represents AFSCME members throughout nine counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania, to discuss the AFL-CIO initiative “Raising the Wage.”

Jason Miller and Allison Petonic of the AFL-CIO cited a recent study released by Temple University law professor Jennifer Lee that cited 700,000 workers in the state a week are cheated out of $19 million to $32 million in wages by employers failing to pay overtime and other wage provisions.

The AFL-CIO, through federation President Richard Trumka, has conducted meetings with labor community members throughout the nation to discuss what strategies are needed for unions to help raise the wage of the working people union and/or nonunion, throughout the nation and union organize more workers.

The AFL-CIO believes wage theft is a large hidden problem that does not occur by accident. Most vulnerable to wage theft are workers in restaurants, building services, retail sales, child-care and elderly home-care workers and grounds and lawn-care workers.

REGION, August 1st- Weeks after the Obama Administration got the authority from the United States Congress to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPPTA), the deal is being held-up by former trade deals while several counties are trying to protect their own interest including Mexico.

Despite intense lobbying by the labor community against the passage of the TPPTA, a measure meant to ease trade restrictions with Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, and Canada, the United States Senate passed the legislation in early summer allowing Democratic President Barack Obama to negotiate global trade deals that the United States Congress can only approve or reject but not change. The legislation had already passed the House of Representatives with the support of most Republicans and twenty-eight Democrats.

The legislation was opposed fiercely by the labor community which is being called “fast track” but was passed by the full Senate on June 25th, 60 to 38. Most of the Senate Democrats voted against the measure including Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey Jr. Pennsylvania’s other Senator Republican Pat Toomey voted in favor of the legislation that President Obama supported and signed into law.

President Barack Obama made the passage of TPPTA a major part of his agenda during his final two years in office.

The pact needed the approval by both chambers of Congress because it is considered to be a treaty.

The labor community has made it clear it opposed the trade agreement and implemented a new tactic is fighting against it. Many of the labor organizations that are affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) had froze campaign contributions to members of Congress to pressure them from supporting the trade deal. The legislation passed anyway with the help of some Democrats and shows how organized labor can no longer can by itself stop anti-union legislation from passing or getting pro-union legislation through Washington.

To get the trade-authority legislation through, Senate Republicans advanced a bill that continued the worker-aid program called the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

The Trade Adjustment Assistance program has been used to help workers that lost their jobs because by foreign trade. TAA helps re-train workers for other jobs that have suffered from production being shift overseas to competition from imports. In the past many garment workers, electronic manufacturer workers, and steel makers received TAA. The worker-aid program must first be requested by an employer or union before any worker can receive help in re-training which includes federal funded higher education programs.

However, during trade-talks held in Hawaii several issues have emerged that has so-far delayed the deal from being completed and some involved have stated could “derail” the trade.

Mexico wants the provision to continue under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which requires three-fifths of content of cars originating in North America before the automobiles could cross borders duty free. Japan wants automakers to be able to source a greater proportion of parts needed for production to be made outside of North America. Mexico, which is becoming a world automotive manufacturing leader, is fighting to keep the NAFTA rule in place, which could derail the TPPTA deal. Mexican negotiators have made in clear that their economy depends on the NAFTA provision.

REGION, August 1st- The Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Coalition of Union Women (CLUW) held their first fund raiser by conducting a yard sale on Saturday July 18th at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Union District Council 87, O’Neill Highway in Dunmore, building.

According to Theresa Lipko, who is the Treasurer of Northeastern Chapter of CLUW, approximately $400.00 was raised through the day-long yard sale. Also, Ms. Lipko added that around $300.00 was also added to the organizations funds by people paying their affiliation dues.CLUW is a organization within the labor movement that is sanctioned by the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation in Washington DC.

The organization was formed in 1974 and currently has more than 75 chapters throughout the nation and a membership of approximately 20,000 women and men.

CLUW’s primary goal is to be a resource to all union represented women to develop action programs within the framework of the labor community to deal with women objectives in the workplace.

The basic objective of CLUW is to promote affirmative action in the workplace, increase participation of women in their labor unions, organize the unrepresented, and engage women in the political and legislative process.

Melissa Matoushek, an Staff Representative for District Council 87, which represents AFSCME members throughout nine counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and who worked on getting enough people to commit of joining the organization, stated the organization now has enough funds to operate and they are currently planning for a member meeting to discuss what issues the group would like to pursue.

On Wednesday May 27th the organization met at the AFSCME building to select officers which included a President, Vice President, Treasurer and three Trustees.

On July 18th several members of the organization volunteered their time to participate in the yard-sale fund raiser. The group had met before-hand to tag prices for the donated items that were sold.

Anyone wanting to join the organization or needs more information can contact Ms. Matoushek at (570) 352-8006. Her e-mail address is: nepacluw@gmail.com.

REGION- August 1st- Frustrated by receiving lower annual pay increases than other workers employed by the County, employees of the Lackawanna County’s Children and Family Services would like changes made to allow their unit of workers to seek arbitration when the two parties are not able to reach an agreement at the bargaining table.

On Friday May 15th members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Union Local 524, who work at several locations in Lackawanna County, went of strike because of the failure of gaining a successor collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the county government.

The two parties reached a agreement of a new three-year CBA on May 27th and the workers returned to their jobs on May 28th. AFSCME represents approximately 90 workers employed by Lackawanna County’s Children and Youth agency. There are seven bargaining units of unionized workers in Lackawanna County.

The workers had been working under the terms and conditions of the previous CBA since it expired in December 2014. The new pact will expire in December 2016. The new CBA included a wage increase of 2 percent the first and final year of the agreement but the workers received a 3 percent increase in year two, this year.

Local 524 is affiliated with AFSCME District Council 87, which represents AFSCME members throughout nine counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Members of the bargaining unit told this reporter that they believed it was unfair that both the Lackawanna County Deputy Sheriffs Association, which represent the County’s Sheriffs, and AFSCME Local 2736, which represents the Correction Officers (CO’s) at the Lackawanna County Prison, received more in annual raises than them, even after going on strike.

Mary Rose Moran, President of Local 524, stated that her bargaining unit is not covered under Pennsylvania law that forbids certain workers that protects public safety, from striking when their union fails to reach a successor contract agreement. Often an arbitrator award is better for the membership than what is being offered by management. Ms. Moran would like the law changed to include her members, which she believes provides services for public safety.

The Lackawanna County Sheriffs Assocation members received 3.4 percent annual raises while the CO’s received nearly the same through arbitration.

Teamsters Union Local 401 members son awarded James R. Hoffa scholarship

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, August 5th- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Union Local 401, South Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre, announced that one of their members child was awarded the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship for 2015. It was third time a member of Local 401 has won the award which was named after the legendary labor leader who disappeared 40 years ago last month in Detroit. Mr. Hoffa’s remains where never discovered and law enforcement continues to follow possible leads in solving the cold case.

Mr. Hoffa became a International Brotherhood of Teamsters member in 1934 and served as General President for fourteen years, and in recognition of his service to the Union and its members after his disappearance was honored as General President Emeritus for life.

At the November 1999 IBT General Executive meeting, then General Secretary/Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel presented a resolution which was passed to establish the new scholarship fund in Mr. Hoffa’s name.

The $1,000.00 scholarship is awarded annually to 200 college students across the nation and Canada that are enrolled in an undergraduate program after they complete an essay of 500 words or less and meet several other requirements including that one or both of their parents or grand-parents must be a member of good standing of the IBT. This years essay’s topic was “What impact would an increase in union membership have on the United States economy and the middle class”. The IBT increased the scholarships to 200 recipients from 150 this year.

James J. Musto Jr., the son of James and Lisa Musto of Pittston, received the scholarship. Mr. Musto Jr. is a student of Wilkes University in Luzerne County and is enrolled as a Junior majoring in Integrative Media and Art, minoring in Marketing. His mother is employed by Local 401 as the Titan Operator, which is the communication operation used within the IBT.

In 2014 Local 401 member Deanna Habib and her husband Victor Habib daughter Amber was one of the years scholarship recipients.

Before a scholarship is awarded, the student must rank in the top 15 percent of their high-school class; have, or expect to have, excellent SAT or ACT scores; and demonstrate financial need.

REGION, August 4th- The around 39,000 unionized workers of Verizon Communications are working under the terms and conditions of the their previous Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that expired on 12:01 a.m. on August 2nd, while negotiations between the parties are continuing.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) Union in Washington DC represents most of the Verizon Communications workforce including line workers and operators. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union represents mostly inside repair personnel.

Approximately eight weeks ago the parties began meeting with Verizon regarding gaining a successor contract agreement. Contract meetings were held in Philadelphia and Rye, New York during that period but without the parties reaching an agreement. Verizon proposals include concessions in out-sourcing, and subcontracting language that would result in less of a unionized workforce.

The CWA and IBEW members voted overwhelmingly to give their negotiating team the right to call for a strike in necessary, however no walk-out is planned at this time.

The once very profitable copper wire land-line telephone business, which most was once operated by Verizon Communications, still makes money but has seen the use of the copper wire lines decrease over the past several decades due to the increase of wireless services.

Verizon Communications has approximately 10.5 million residential land-line customers with more than fifty percent still using copper land-lines. One of the benefits of copper land-lines is a customer does not lose their phone service in an event of a power outage, while wireless phone systems will stop working when the batteries die, such as what happen in New Jersey several years ago after Hurricane Sandy. With the power off wireless phone customers lost their phone service for as much as several weeks.

In February Verizon announced that it had agreed to sell about twenty-five percent of their copper hard-line customers to Frontier Communications Corporation. After the deal is completed Verizon will not operate wire line telephone service in three states, Texas, California, and Florida. Some but not all of Frontier workers are unionized, also by the CWA.

The remaining phone business of Verizon Communications will be mostly in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

REGION, July 22nd- The United States Supreme Court will hear a case in the fall session that could result in public sector labor organizations to represent workers that refuse to join the union and not help finance the expense of their representation.

The high court stated in late June it would consider during the next term whether public employees must pay fees to labor organizations that they have refused to join but receive the negotiated wage and working conditions under the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between governments and unions.

The Supreme Court ruled forty years ago that states could allow labor unions to collect fees, often called ‘agency fee’ from nonmember government workers to help pay collective bargaining cost. However, the employee could be excluded from paying anything toward the labor organizations spending on political involvement. Federal workers were not a part of the ruling with most involving state and school workers including teachers.

Most union haters and pro-business conservatives on the court in 1977 were critical of the ruling which was called “Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education’.

The union haters have stated that it was unfair for unions to receive fees from workers that do not want to join the union. However, the labor organization must still represent the worker(s) should he or she be fired and will receive the wage and benefits that was negotiated between the labor organization and management.

The United States Supreme Court could rule against any government worker from paying compulsory dues, which would financially hurt the labor organization. Rebecca Friedrichs, a California teacher who has refused to join the California Teachers Association, which is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) brought the case against the Union stating that the union was infringing against her First Amendment right of free-speech.

She has claimed that her First Amendment rights were violated despite that none of the fees collected from her is used for political activities. Her backers have argued that she and anti-union workers like her should not be compelled to fund collective bargaining techniques and positions which they disagree.

Unions such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the NEA would be the most effected should the court rule in favor of Ms. Friedrichs.

“Unions have a right to collect a fair share from the people they represent, regardless of whether the people want to pay,” stated Randi Weingarten, President of the AFT.

REGION, July 18th- Kevin Gallagher, President of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 101 in Scranton, which represents mail clerks, maintenance workers and conducts clerical work, told the newspaper that the union was told by management of the United States Postal Service (USPS) that the Scranton Processing Center will not be consolidated until at least after April 30th, 2016.

The USPS announced in 2012 it would consolidate 48 mail processing centers throughout the nation including their operations in Scranton to the Lehigh Valley. The USPS stated the plan would save the agency nearly $1.2 billion a year.

The USPS stated around 5,000 workers would be affected by the consolidation. However, no lays-off would occur instead jobs would be “re-bid” under the labor agreement’s with the USPS and workers is some cases would need to either relocate or travel to other postal service facilities to continue to be employed by the USPS.

The Scranton mail processing center was scheduled to be consolidated with the Lehigh Valley facility on July 15th. However, the USPS delayed that action and has since notified the labor organization’s involved that the Scranton facility would remain operational until next year.

Mr. Gallagher previously told the newspaper that his members were getting adjusted the best they could with their jobs being eliminated and many of them would need to do other USPS work to continue working with the agency. Local 268 represents the APWU members that are employed at the Lehigh Valley facility.

APWU members will be the most effected by the merger. Mr. Gallagher stated more than half of his 180 members will need to be re-located or be re-assigned to other postal duties, such as becoming mail delivery carriers. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the USPS an effected employee could be placed within 50 miles of their current workplace.

Mr. Gallagher stated he has talked to mail customers that have noticed that it often now takes longer for mail to reach its designation because of the USPS changing the mail delivery standards. Mr. Gallagher said what the management of the USPS is doing by lowering the mail standards is to fit with their decision of closing plants and making other anti-customer changes to the agency. He added that since the USPS changed mail delivery standards, customer complaints have increased because it now takes longer for letters and other correspondence to reach their destination.

REGION, August 3rd- According to data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, (DOL) Center of Workforce Information and Analysis in Harrisburg, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) unemployment rate dropped by two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report to 6.1 percent. Twelve months ago the region’s unemployment rate was 7.0 percent. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton MSA has the third highest unemployment rate among the eight-teen in Pennsylvania.

The Johnstown MSA has the highest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 6.8 percent, decreasing by two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and the East Stroudsburg MSA has the second highest rate at 6.5 percent. The Williamsport MSA has the fourth highest unemployment rate at 6.0 percent with the Philadelphia MSA and the Erie MSA tied with the fifth highest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania.

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is 5.4 percent, unchanged from the month before. Pennsylvania has a seasonally adjusted civilian labor force of 6,423,000 with 345,000 not working. Pennsylvania has 6,078,000 civilians with employment. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate decreased by three-tenths of a percentage point over the past twelve months.

Meanwhile, the nation’s unemployment rate was reported to be at 5.3 percent, dropping by two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report, which was released approximately four weeks before. The national unemployment rate decreased by eight-tenths of a percentage point from twelve months ago.

The State College MSA has the lowest unemployment rate in Pennsylvania at 3.8 percent, decreasing by three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report. The Lancaster MSA and the Gettysburg MSA are tied for the second lowest unemployment rate at 4.2 percent, while Harrisburg/Carlisle MSA has the third lowest at 4.4 percent and the Lebanon MSA has the fourth lowest in Pennsylvania at 4.6 percent.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton MSA has the fifth largest labor-force in Pennsylvania with 282,500 civilians, dropping by 500 from the month before and increasing by 3,400 during the past twelve months. There are 17,300 civilians without employment, dropping by 2,200 during the past twelve months.

The Philadelphia MSA has the largest labor-force in Pennsylvania at 3,038,600 with 165,700 not working; the Pittsburgh MSA has the second largest labor-force at 1,222,400 with 62,300 without jobs; and the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA has the third largest labor-force at 426,100 with 23,000 not
working.

Lackawanna County has the lowest unemployment rate within the MSA at 5.5 percent, decreasing by five-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and dropping by eight-tenths of a percentage point from twelve months before. Lackawanna County has a labor force of 107,700 with 6,000 without employment, dropping by 700 from twelve months before.

Luzerne County has the highest unemployment rate within the MSA at 6.2 percent, dropping by five-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and decreasing by eight-tenths of a percentage point from one year before. Luzerne County has the largest labor force within the MSA at 160,000 and 9,900 of them have no jobs, decreasing by 1,100 during the past twelve months.

Wyoming County’s unemployment rate is 6.0 percent, dropping by five-tenths of a percentage point from the previous report and dropping by six-tenths of a percentage point from one year before.

Wyoming County has a labor force of 14,300 with 900 unemployed, unchanged from the month before and also unchanged from twelve months before.

REGION, August 3rd- The United States Supreme Court will hear a case in the fall session that could result in public sector labor organizations to represent workers that refuse to join the union and not help finance the expense of their representation.

The high court stated in late June it would consider during the next term whether public employees must pay fees to labor organizations that they have refused to join but receive the negotiated wage and working conditions under the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between governments and unions.

The Supreme Court ruled forty years ago that states could allow labor unions to collect fees, often called ‘agency fee’ from non-member government workers to help pay collective bargaining cost. However, the employee could be excluded from paying anything toward the labor organizations spending on political involvement. Federal workers were not a part of the ruling with most involving state and school workers including teachers.

Most union haters and pro-business conservatives on the court in 1977 were critical of the ruling which was called “Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education’.

The union haters have stated that it was unfair for unions to receive fees from workers that do not want to join the union. However, the labor organization must still represent the worker(s) should he or she be fired and will receive the wage and benefits that was negotiated between the labor organization and management.

The United States Supreme Court could rule against any government worker from paying compulsory dues, which would financially hurt the labor organization.

Rebecca Friedrichs, a California teacher who has refused to join the California Teachers Association, which is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) brought the case against the Union stating that the union was infringing against her First Amendment right of free-speech. She has claimed that her First Amendment rights were violated despite that none of the fees collected from her is used for political activities. Her backers have argued that she and anti-union workers like her should not be compelled to fund collective bargaining techniques and positions which they disagree.

Unions such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the NEA would be the most effected should the court rule in favor of Ms. Friedrichs.

“Unions have a right to collect a fair share from the people they represent, regardless of whether the people want to pay,” stated Randi Weingarten, President of the AFT.

David Fillman, AFSCME District 13 Executive Director stated under the program called “AFSCME Strong” the union has put a staff together that is reaching-out to the membership to make them understand that they need to support their union and combat the anti-union attitude many have within the political world.

Mr. Fillman said the staff will engage the members around a campaign that will build power through education and mobilization. AFSCME 13 has approximately 52,600 members and the unions’ goal is to engage 80 percent of them before March 2016, the month the Supreme Court ruling regarding the compulsory dues is expected.

He said the staff will collectively train around 5 percent of the membership to sign-up, commit and activate co-workers to conduct one-on-one conversations about why they need to be engaged in their union. “The program is putting boots on the ground. There are many anti-union groups out there who want to destroy us,” said Mr. Fillman.

“I agree with Mr. Fillman, this program is a pro-active way to get to our members and more unions should do the same,” said Corey Lockard, Director of District Council 86, which is affiliated with Council 13.

REGION, July 22nd- According to data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (DOL), Center for Workforce Information and Analysis in Harrisburg, within the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), non-farm jobs have increased by 4,900 from the previous reporting period, which was approximately released four-week before. Non-farm jobs have rose by 3,400 from twelve months before to 360,200, the DOL data indicates.

The MSA includes Lehigh County, Northampton County and Carbon County of Pennsylvania.

Most industry sectors within the MSA gained jobs during the past twelve months with Leisure and Hospitality gaining the most increasing by 3,000 during the period. Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities jobs have increased by 1,200, the second largest job gainer.

Government jobs have continued to lose jobs in the Lehigh Valley over the past twelve months with Local Government jobs losing the most by declining by 600 to 35,600. Federal Government jobs dropped by 100 during the period while Local Government Educational Services decreasing by 500 jobs over the past twelve months to 22,600.

Overall, the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton MSA has a labor-force of 427,000 with 24,200 without employment. There are 403,600 MSA civilians with employment, improving by 4,000 from twelve months before.

There are 36,700 manufacturing jobs within the MSA, rising by 1,100 from the previous report and increasing by 400 from this time last year. Within the sector there are 21,800 durable goods jobs and 13,900 non-durable jobs.

Food services and drinking places posted a large gain over the previous report, gaining a new record high level.

REGION, July 1st- The Communications Workers of America (CWA) Union in Washington DC has publicly challenged Verizon Communications for not repairing broken copper land-line telephone service throughout the Northeast section of the nation.

The once very profitable copper wire land-line telephone business, which most was once operated by Verizon Communications, still makes money but has seen the use of the wire line decrease by around twenty-five percent over the past several decades due to the increase of wireless services.

The CWA recently said Verizon is not repairing the copper lines in mostly the Northeast instead have attempted to get their customers to switch to wireless, which has a lot less infrastructure and shifts the responsibility of their phone problems to the customer. Customers must buy a new wireless phone every couple of years and often be required to purchased their service for several years in advance.

The CWA filed public information request with state regulators in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey to look if whether the Union can find data showing Verizon’s extent of not fixing problem phone lines. Tele-communications company’s including Verizon Communications are required to report information regarding service issues but the CWA believes the company is not fully disclosing the problems to the general public.

The CWA represents most of the Verizon Communications workforce including line workers and operators. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union represents mostly inside repair personnel. The CWA and Verizon have just began successor collective bargaining agreement negotiations. It is estimated that the CWA still has around 35,000 members employed by Verizon Communications.

Verizon Communications has approximately 10.5 million residential land-line customers with more than fifty percent still using copper land-lines. One of the benefits of copper land-lines is a customer does not lose their phone service in an event of a power outage, while wireless phone systems will stop working when the batteries die, such as what happen in New Jersey several years ago after Hurricane Sandy. With the power off wireless phone customers lost their phone service for as much as several weeks.

Meanwhile, in February 2015 Verizon Communications announced that it had agreed to sell about twenty-five percent of their copper hard-line customers to Frontier Communications Corporation.

The deal is awaiting federal regulators approval of the sale. After the deal is completed Verizon will not operate wire line telephone service in three states, Texas, California, and Florida. The remaining phone business of Verizon Communications will be mostly in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

The selling of the assets to Frontier Communications will continue what Verizon began several years ago, selling-off much of their land-line telephone service business that they received in 2000 after Bell Atlantic merged with GTE, forming Verizon Communications.

According to Verizon, sixty-nine percent of the $127 billion of annual revenue is created through their wireless business. However, despite the need of more infrastructure in the hard-line telephone business it still makes money.

The CWA stated that Verizon is systematically abandoning their copper hand-line phone business and as a consequence their customers quality of service has plummeted. However, Verizon management denied it is abandoning their copper hard-line phone service network.

REGION, June 26th- On Saturday May 9th the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Union in Washington DC held their annual National Food Drive and collected nearly 71 million pounds of food to help restock food banks, pantries and shelters around the country.

The NALC stated the amount of food collected was an impressive result made all the more necessary by the extreme weather experienced by much of the country, along with the economics struggles many American face.

The NALC represents mail carriers of the United States Postal Service (USPS), excluding rural delivery throughout the nation. As always, the NALC Branches in Northeastern Pennsylvania participated in the one day event in 2015. The newspaper will report on how much food was collected throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania in upcoming editions.

However, regionally union members affiliated with the Scranton Central Labor Union and the Greater Wilkes-Barre labor Council labor federation’s participated in the annual food drive, which is the largest one-day food collection in the nation.

The NALC has approximately 200,000 active members and began the food drive in 1991 and have conducted the event every year since 1993. There are around 1,500 NALC branches throughout the nation that participate in the food drive.

The United Way of America and Feeding America sponsored the food drive with several other organizations providing volunteers or financial support for the event.

While the NALC members collect the food items from their customers many other union member volunteers sort and deliver the collected food to area shelters and food banks.

This year was the twelfth consecutive year in which at least 70 million pounds of food was collected.

“This shows the value of the universal postal network, which goes to more than 150 million addresses six days a week. It also shows the strong connection between letter carriers and the communities they serve, a unique bond the serves the nation well,” stated NALC International President Fredric Rolando.

“Six and even seven days a week, letter carriers see first-hand the needs in the communities where we work,” added Mr. Rolando.

REGION- June 30th- The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Union Local 60 in Scranton, which represents the fire personnel of the City of Scranton, currently represents only 117 firefighters. Scranton has the largest Fire Department in the region and the city is the third biggest land mass municipality in Pennsylvania at 27 square miles. Only the Cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have more square miles.

IAFF Local 60 represented approximately 121 Scranton firefighters for several years. More than twenty-five years ago the Union represented more than 200 members of the Scranton Fire Department. However, over the past two decades the IAFF has agreed to eliminate positions to help the municipality save costs.

According to David Gervasi, Greivance Chairman of Local 60, which was chartered by the IAFF to represent the Scranton Fire Department more than 80 years ago, the department has decreased by two positions recently with the retirement of several firefighters including himself. Mr. Gervasi previously was President of Local 60 and has been a activist for the Union, often speaking at weekly meetings of the Scranton City Council.

Mr. Gervasi retired as a active Scranton fire-fighter in June and his position has not yet been filled. However, Mr. Gervasi stated that current Scranton Mayor William Courtright will soon hire several new firefighters.

The IAFF gives local union numbers in the order for which they are chartered, meaning Local 60 was the sixtieth local union chartered by the labor organization. For several decades the Scranton IAFF Local Union was 669, however they returned to Local 60 in the 1990’s.

Mr. Gervasi told the newspaper the current number of 117 firefighters may be the lowest in Scranton’s history.

REGION, July 5th- Kevin Gallagher, President of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 101 in Scranton, which represents mail clerks, maintenance workers and conducts clerical work, told the newspaper that the union was told by management of the United States Postal Service (USPS) that the Scranton Processing Center will not be consolidated until at least after April 30th, 2016.

The USPS announced in 2012 it would consolidate 48 mail processing centers throughout the nation including their operations in Scranton to the Lehigh Valley. The USPS stated the plan would save the agency nearly $1.2 billion a year.

The USPS stated around 5,000 workers would be affected by the consolidation. However, no lays-off would occur instead jobs would be “re-bid” under the labor agreement’s with the USPS and workers is some cases would need to either relocate or travel to other postal service facilities to continue to be employed by the USPS.

The Scranton mail processing center was scheduled to be consolidated with the Lehigh Valley facility on July 15th. However, the USPS delayed that action and has since notified the labor organizations involved that the Scranton facility would remain operational until next year.

Mr. Gallagher previously told the newspaper that his members were getting adjusted the best they could with their jobs being eliminated and many of them would need to do other USPS work to continue working with the agency.

APWU members will be the most effected by the merger. Mr. Gallagher stated more than half of his 180 members will need to be re-located or be re-assigned to other postal duties, such as becoming mail delivery carriers.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the USPS an effected employee could be placed within 50 miles of their current workplace.

In the May edition of the newspaper it was reported that Mr. Gallagher stated there are approximately 25 mail delivery positions currently unfilled in Scranton, 21 available in Wilkes-Barre, and 17 in Pittston, that his members could be transferred or re-assigned to those jobs. The APWU members would be required to join the letter carriers union.

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Union is the largest of the labor organizations that represent USPS employees.

The NALC has 280,000 members and represents letter carriers of the USPS across the country and was founded by Civil War veterans in 1889 and is one the oldest labor organizations in the United States.

Mr. Gallagher stated he has talked to mail customers that have noticed that it often now takes longer for mail to reach its designation because of the USPS changing the mail delivery standards. Mr. Gallagher said what the management of the USPS is doing by lowering the mail standards is to fit with their decision of closing plants and making other anti-customer changes to the agency.

The USPS began sending all out-going mail to the Lehigh Valley Processing Center in Bethlehem before being returned to the Scranton facility to be sorted for area customer delivery. In fact, this newspaper has recently experienced problems with the USPS delivery. Out-going mail has been returned by the USPS stating there was “no such address” when if fact the address was correct. The USPS “no such address” label was removed by the newspaper and put back into the out-going mail to only then be received by the address recipient.

Mr. Gallagher said he has heard numerous reports of similar issues regarding mail delivery problems. He believes the mail processing machines in the Lehigh Valley are being over-worked and simply can not handle the volume, causing delays is customer mail delivery.

Mr. Gallagher added that since the USPS changed mail delivery standards, customer complaints have increased because it now takes longer for letters and other correspondence to reach their destination.

REGION, June 26th- The United Steelworkers Union (USW) Local 2599 members employed at Follett Corporation in Easton recently ratified a new four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the company.

Local 2599, East Lehigh Street in Bethlehem, has approximately fourteen units of workers employed throughout the Lehigh Valley and has around 2,000 members. Local 2599 is one the largest labor organizations in the Lehigh Valley and once represented workers employed at Bethlehem Steel. The stacks of the steel mill can be seen from the union office building just several blocks away in Bethlehem.

The union once represented thousands of workers at the mill along with several other USW local unions that were merged into Local 2599 after the mill was closed in 2000.

The previous CBA between the company and the USW expired on May 3rd, 2015. The workers and the company agreed to work under the terms and conditions of the expired agreement while the parties continued to negotiate for a successor labor contract agreement.

According to Jerry Green, President of Local 2599, the parties agreed to work under the old CBA after the membership rejected managements “final contract offer”. Mr. Green stated the membership requested working under the terms and conditions of the expired CBA rather than striking and the company agreed to continue to met for contract negotiations.

After negotiation meetings continued Mr. Green stated contract proposals were slightly changed by Follett Corporation negotiating team and the USW membership ratified the new four-year pact.Highlights of the new CBA include a 2.25 percent wage increase each year for the first three years. The membership will receive a 2.50 percent increase in the fourth and final year of the new pact.

Also, workers will receive a $750.00 lump sum bonus in the first and fourth years of the agreement and a $500.00 lump sum bonus in the second and third years of the pact.

Prescription safety glasses and shoe allowances have been increased. Also retiree life insurance was increased to $10,000.00.

Mr. Green told the newspaper all raises are retro-active and the new CBA was overwhelmingly approved by the membership.